hell no, I'm not talking about that stupid t.v. show. Anyone here make their living with their voice? I'm not talking about singing, but radio? advertising? voice acting?

I get told at least once every couple of days that I should be on the radio or I will have people just not respond on the telephone when I answer it at work because they think I am a recording. I never really thought about doing something with it, cuz of course I hate my voice and think I sound like Butthead from MTV. But now I am thinking why the hell not, I have a solid 9-5 but could put some time in the booth or studio for some extra scratch.

Any tips on how to get started?? Make a reel?(just dated myself) Hell, I'd even do monster truck spots.

Making a reel is absolutely a good idea. Get a good collection of yourself showing your range and dynamics and then shop it to marketing firms and such (W + K is a big one down here in Portland). Find yourself some representation, a manager who knows how to get you in. I get voice actor clients at the studio now and then. Doesn't seem like it's a particularly good shot at success but I'm sure it's possible. Probably more about who you know than what you can do.

How would you describe your voice? Besides the Butthead comparison, obviously. Would you say it's more truck commercial or isp ad? Record yourself saying "frozen tundra of lambeau field" and email it to me.

I guess I'd lean closer to the Truck commercial guy. got any tips on a decent mic thats not a million dollars zeb? If I try and put something together I sure as hell am not gonna try and squeak by with my gaming headset, lol.

I wish radio wasn't so soulless these days. I wouldn't really jazzed about entertaining people myself, but it would be killer to have the freedom to say "Hell no, I am not playing 'Running with the Devil' yet again, I'm gonna play 'Women in Love' and people will go bonkers, watch." Anyhoo, let the homework begin.....

Here's a good place to start. It's often kind of difficult to tell what will work best with your voice without being able to test them out, but for just a basic start-up mic you should be able to find something around $100 I would imagine.

Run it through one of these and one of these and throw some foam up on the walls and for around $300 you got yourself a professional sounding studio.